Boston Democratic Socialists of America is one of the largest Democratic Socialists of America locals. Boston DSA was entitled to 11
delegates to the 2007 DSA National Convention in Atlanta, based on 208 members.

Boston School for Democratic Socialism

The Boston School for Democratic Socialism held several courses in the Spring of 1990: "Introduction to Democratic Socialism;" "Housing America: A Progressive Perspective;" "The Transformation of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union;" and "An Economic Course for the 90s."

Commonwealth Coalition

The Commonwealth Coalition was an alliance of local progressive groups, including Democratic Socialists of America, whose Political Committee endorsed candidates in State legislative races. In November 2005 it was in the process of disbanding and re-forming under another name as yet unchosen.

DSA lobbying

So this January DSAers in Brookline, Newton and parts of Wellesley took ac-tion to help the victims fight back against the perpetrators. We made calls to two of our elected representatives: Congressman Barney Frank and State Senator Cynthia Creem, who chair committees that are of vital importance on these issues.

The Massachusetts Alliance Against Predatory Lending (MAAPL), a coalition that includes Boston DSA, has filed four bills in the State Legislature to help predatory lending victims in Massachu-setts. All are currently in the Judiciary Committee, whose Senate chair is Cyn-thia Creem. Her DSA constituents called to ask her to have these bills reported favorably out of her committee.

Congressman Barney Frank is Chair-man of the House Financial Services Committee. He could initiate a process that might lead to using the remaining TARP funds to save community banks, instead of just handing them over like tasty morsels to be devoured by the big banks that precipitated the crisis. This would be a much more community-friendly use of the funds than other ideas to create a capital gains tax holiday! Constituents called to ask him to schedule a committee hearing to discuss this proposal.

Democratic Socialists of America - Boston Public Group

Just a reminder that this group is not officially an organ of Democratic Socialists of America, although the Admins are members, and a lot of members post here from time to time. We reserve the right to kick people out for trolling or spamming, but otherwise we don't do a lot of vetting of would-be group members. Which is cool, because we value everybody's point of view. But views posted in this group are those of the poster, only.

1994 "single payer" health care campaign

Boston DSA helped win a small but symbolic victory for single payer health care in a little noticed campaign in Massachusetts.

A coalition that included DSA put a question supporting single payer health care on the November 8 ballot in seven state senate districts and one state representative district. The eight districts covered nearly 20 percent of the state's voters, and spanned the state geographically from Gloucester to Springfield. The pro-single payer question won. gaining more "Yes" votes than "No" votes in six of the eight districts where it was on the ballot.

Boston DSA was active in the campaign at the statewide coordinating committee level, and in at least four of the local ballot committees, including the one that achieved the highest ratio of "Yes" to "No" votes of any district.[9]

1995 health care activism

In 1995,Boston DSA heard DSA National Director Alan Charney at an August "retreat and radical Bar-B-Q" at the home of Democratic State Representative Jim Marzilli in Arlington. Charney worked with local leaders to develop a strategic plan for the local's work.

That plan "will certainly include continued participation" in Mass-Care, the coalition for a state singlepayer health care plan for Massachusetts. Harris Gruman, a co-founder of Colorado DSA, recently joined Mass-Care's staff.[10]

Working Family Agenda

In 2000 Boston DSA’s biggest ongoing project was the Working Family Agenda, a "state-wide coalition effort to raise the minimum wage — which passed the State House with help from former Boston DSA Chair, State Representative Jim Marzilli".[11]

1993

Over 140 people attended the local's annual Debs-Thomas-Bernstein Award Reception on June 15. Honorees were two outstanding women trade union leaders: Sandy Felder, the president of Service Employees Local 509, and Celia Wcislo, president of SEIU Local 285.

1995

Boston DSA's annual Debs-Thomas-Bernstein Dinner was held on June 1 at the Dante Aligheri Center in Cambridge. 1995's honorees were Byron Rushing, a longtime civil rights activist who represents Boston's South End in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and Carin Schiewe, the direct or of the Commonwealth Coalition, a grassroots alliance working to elect progressive candidates to the State House.

A special Michacl Harrington Award was given to Lewis Coser, the distinguished sociologist who was a founding member of DSA and a founding editor of Dissent magazine.[14]

2001

On June 12, 2001 Boston Democratic Socialists of America presented its annual award to "leaders who fight for democracy, here at home and around the world". Ed Clark and Dessima Williams received the Debs-Thomas-Bernstein Award, and John Maher received the Michael Harrington Lifetime Achievement Award. The reception took place at the home of Marcia Peters and David Karaus in Jamaica Plain.[15]

2002

On June 13, 2002 Boston Democratic Socialists of America presented its 25th Annual Debs–Thomas–Bernstein Awards to "leaders who fight for democracy, here at home and around the world". State Representatives Pat Jehlen and Anne Paulsen,
Co-Chairs of the Progressive Legislators Group received the award. Ellen Feingold, the earliest known recipient (1979) spoke on the history of the organization. Boston Democratic Socialists of America was a patron of the reception.

Pat Jehlen and John Mayer noted how Harris combines the skills and abilities of an ace precinct captain and shrewd political strategist with a vast knowledge of the more obscure Austria, Italy, which undoubtably comes in handy on the campaign trail.

2009

The 2009 Debs-Thomas-Bernstein Awards, sponsored by Boston Democratic Socialists of America, took place Tuesday, June 30, 6:30—8:30 P.M., at the historic home of Marcia Peters and David Karaus, Jamaica Plain.

Honorees were Professor, author, and health care reformer Rashi Fein, along with the winners of an inspiring union election at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton, accepted by Sonia Marshall, patient care assistant and key organizer of the campaign.[21]

After being introduced by 1199 Vice President (and former Boston DSA staff person) Mike Fadel, lead organizer Sonia Marshall recounted the ups and downs of the long campaign for union certification, and the need for the same kind of solidarity and democratic consultation when negotiating future contracts.

2010

The 2010 Debs-Thomas-Bernstein Awards, sponsored by Boston Democratic Socialists of America, took place Tuesday, June 13, 6:30—8:30 P.M., at the Jamaica plain home of environmentalist Marcia Peters and David Karaus.

2012

At the 2012 awards reception of Boston Democratic Socialists of America, held on June 18 at 56 Perkins Street, Jamaica Plain, at the home of Marcia Peters and David Karaus, Andrea Miller, former Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts, was honored.

Andrea was “politicized” during her first year at Columbia College where she joined the DSA Youth Section, serving for three years on its Executive Committee and eventually as Chair. She has then spent two decades on the frontlines of the struggle for reproductive justice. Under her leadership in 2010 MA NARAL, with other members of the Mass Alliance coalition, successfully resisted the nationwide Republican tsunami by retaining a slim pro-choice majority at the State House, and won “no-copays” for contraception in health care legislation.

Last year Andrea moved to New York to become President of the National Institute for Reproductive Health and NARAL Pro- Choice New York, where she successfully battled the FDA for access to over-the counter emergency contraception and cofounded the Center for Reproductive Rights.